It was noticed by the inventors that in the design, installation and maintenance of large agriculture irrigation systems, it is highly desirable in this day and age to be able to have access to interactive software tools and applications that may be used in assisting an owner/designer in site planning, proper component selection and accurate packaging of the numerous components typically needed for installation at a particular irrigation site. For example, the inventors realized it would be desirable to have access via the Internet to an easy-to-use interactive software tool that could be used to optimize or update an irrigation system design to suit site-specific concerns such as known metrological conditions, soil conditions and type of crops being irrigated. Moreover, the inventors realized it would also be desirable to have a means for conveniently tracking system components and configuration information for a plurality of different irrigation systems, and be able to have access to such information when at an irrigation site or, for example, wherever and whenever needed at locations remote from the user's home or office PC system.
For example, in considering potential designs for a self-propelled agriculture irrigation system that uses a water distribution boom line, such as found in conventional center pivot and linear movement type irrigation systems, the inventors realized it is highly desirable to be able to fashion a design that uses the optimum number of outlets and sprinkler heads along the length of the boom, as well as the optimum inter-head spacings and nozzle size/type for each head to maximize efficiency and minimize overall operating costs. Typically, once a design for a particular site is finalized, the individual irrigation system hardware components including the various different sprinkler head nozzle types/models that were custom selected for that particular site are ordered and assembled into packages for shipping to the site for installation. In the context of designing, installing and maintaining agriculture irrigation systems as described herein, a specification defining the components, outlet locations, head spacings, nozzle types, etc. and their specific arrangement in a particular irrigation system is hereinafter referred to as a sprinkler package configuration (SPC). The inventors also noticed that if, for example, a particular sprinkler package configuration or other irrigation system hardware order is incorrectly assembled/packaged prior to shipping to a customer or, perhaps more commonly, if during the on-site construction of a particular irrigation system the wrong nozzle type/model is installed at a sprinkler head, or if sprinkler heads are positioned at wrong positions or intervals along the boom line, the end result may fail to apply water effectively. Obviously, for even simple configurations and moderately sized irrigation systems, it can be difficult to discover and identify such faults, as well as time consuming and costly to correct such faults after an installation is complete and operation has begun.
Consequently, the inventors recognized that there is a need to be able to quickly and conveniently check and verify proper placement of sprinkler heads and proper nozzle size/type in situ at an irrigation system site both during and after the setup, construction or installation of a new irrigation system or during an upgrade or routine maintenance of an existing system. In addition, the inventors also recognized that currently unknown and missing from the agriculture irrigation equipment and support industries is the provision of any sort of portable and inexpensive means and/or method that enables one to conveniently perform checking and verification of irrigation system components in situ at diversely located irrigation sites “as built” or during installation. The inventors also recognized that it would be desirable to be able to visit a particular irrigation site “after built” for performing maintenance checks, upgrades or the like on existing nozzles and other system components while having some means for convenient access and reference to the original “as built” system design specifications. Accordingly, disclosed herein the inventors provide a nonlimiting illustrative example implementation of an apparatus and method for implementing and registering an irrigation system design and for enabling on-site in-situ checking and verification of an irrigation system, its constituent components, components specifications, as well as method and apparatus for assembly and verification of customized sprinkler system hardware packages and providing a convenient means for on-site checking and verification of irrigation system components.
In one nonlimiting illustrative example implementation of an irrigation system design and configuration verification method and apparatus as disclosed and claimed herein, an Internet-accessible server is provided with a user interface and a proprietary irrigation system Registry Database which maintains sprinkler package configuration information and associated geographic location data for a plurality of different agriculture irrigation installations. The exemplary user interface suggested herein provides secure registration and enables customization and storage of one or more specific irrigation system designs and corresponding sprinkler package configurations including precise geographic location data of individual sprinkler components in an irrigation system for a plurality of users.
In another nonlimiting illustrative example implementation, irrigation system and sprinkler package configuration (SPC) design software application that is operable on a user's PC is provided to a user or made accessible for use via an Internet website. This irrigation system and sprinkler package configuration (SPC) design software application effectively enables a user to design and register a customized irrigation system and specify an associated sprinkler package configuration (i.e., a customized record of irrigation system components and specifications for a particular irrigation installation site) using a conventional PC, workstation or laptop computer.
In another nonlimiting illustrative example implementation, an irrigation system design and verification system includes an automated sprinkler head nozzle assembly and labeling system/machine for putting together customized packages of irrigation system components (sprinkler package) containing specific sprinkler head/nozzle combinations for a particular irrigation installation site and placing component identification information on each sprinkler head/nozzle or other component in the form of barcodes or RFID tags or the like.
Another nonlimiting illustrative example aspect or implementation of the design and verification system disclosed herein includes a location-aware mobile smart-device/portable computer system having a CPU memory and computer instruction code for enabling the device to wirelessly connect to the Internet or to a WAN for communicating with a remote computer/server that serves as a proprietary Registry Database for storing and checking information related to irrigation systems.
Another nonlimiting illustrative example implementation contemplated herein utilizes a location-aware portable smart-device/computer incorporating GPS and/or other GIS (geographic information system) technology implementing hardware, includes a display and runs proprietary mobile irrigation system design and mapping software that enables a user physically located at a particular irrigation installation site to generate and map an irrigation system “as built” or perform in-situ verification of individual component configuration/location information, while at the same time being in data communication with remote database resources for uploading/downloading or updating and/or researching or accessing current or archived irrigation system and sprinkler package configuration (SPC) information.
In another nonlimiting illustrative example implementation, a proprietary software application (app) is provided which is operable on a location-aware portable smart-device/cell phone, or laptop computer to enable a user who is physically located at a particular irrigation installation site to contact a remote proprietary database and obtain the irrigation system's sprinkler package configuration (SPC) information to perform an in-situ verification of that information. For example, a user running the proprietary application on smart phone can instantly verify the particular model type and boom-line position of one or more sprinkler heads/nozzles by checking the information in a registered sprinkler package configuration file which is automatically downloaded and displayed on the smart phone by the application.
In another nonlimiting illustrative example implementation, a location-aware Mobile Registry Interface (MRI) communication device is provided with apparatus input, which may be separately connected or constructed integral to the communication device, for use in scanning a barcode ID tag placed on a sprinkler head/nozzle or other IS components. Alternatively, the MRI device may include integral circuitry or may be provided with an input device for wirelessly receiving RFID information from an RFID tag placed on nozzle components or equipment at the site.
In yet another nonlimiting illustrative example implementation disclosed herein, installation of a particular sprinkler package at an irrigation site is accomplished with the assistance of a location-aware wireless mobile device equipped with software for communicating and interfacing with a remote database containing sprinkler package configuration file information. The location-aware mobile device uses GPS location information and specific ID information obtained from a sprinkler system component and checks this information with information in the sprinkler package configuration file. This enables easy on-site verification of the exact placement and nozzle size of each sprinkler head or other irrigation component during and/or after the installation process at any particular site.
In yet another nonlimiting example implementation disclosed herein, an agriculture irrigation system installation design and verification system is provided for designing the configuration of sprinkler components to be used at a specific irrigation site, setting/labeling each of the components with a specific ID and confirming/verifying component ID and location at a particular irrigation site. In this nonlimiting example, the design and verification system incorporates one or more of: 1) interactive sprinkler package configuration (SPC) software operable on a user's PC or accessible via an Internet website which enables a user to design and specify a sprinkler package configuration (SPC) for a particular irrigation installation, 2) an Internet-accessible registry database and user interface which maintains sprinkler package configuration data and associated geographic location information for a plurality of different agriculture irrigation installations, 3) a computer-controlled automated sprinkler head nozzle selection and labeling machine/system for packaging together a customized assemblage of irrigation system hardware components/parts in accordance with a specified SPC, and placing component identification/information tags in the form of barcodes or RFID microchips tags or the like on each sprinkler head/nozzle or other component/part in the customized package prior to shipping to an installation site, and 4) a portable/mobile location-aware smart device (e.g., laptop, handheld PC, Smartphone, Blackberry, PDA, tablet computer, etc.) that is operable at an irrigation site/field to wirelessly access the remote registry database and obtain sprinkler package configuration information specific to a particular irrigation system or to a particular irrigation system component. The smart mobile device is provided with an input, which may be a separate device or comprise circuitry and apparatus integral to the mobile device, for scanning a barcode ID label placed on sprinkler head/nozzle components or receiving RFID information from component tags or equipment at the site. The component ID information is then used in conjunction with data accessed wirelessly from the registry database to assist with the initial installation of equipment at the site or to verify the correct installation of equipment at later times.
In a computer network, such as the Internet, many different kinds of computers may be used as information “servers” and information requesters or “clients”. In general, personal computers or workstations, laptops, and other smart mobile communication devices containing a computer/processor are the sites at which a human user operates a computer to make requests for data from other computers or servers on the network. Usually, the requested information/data resides in one or more remote computers which make up the Internet. In this specification, the terms “client” and “server” are used to refer to a computer's general role as a requester of data (client) or provider of data (server). Further, each computer may request data in one transaction and provide data in another transaction, thus changing the computer's role from client or server, or vice versa.
On the Internet, the “World Wide Web” uses a client-server model to communicate information between clients and servers. As such, “Web” servers are coupled to the Internet and respond to document requests from Web clients. Web clients, via Web browsers, allow users to access Web “sites” located on Web servers which provide one or more displayable Web “pages” containing information, documents and/or interactive program applications.
An example of a client-server system interconnected through the Internet may include a remote server system interconnected through the Internet to a client system. The client system may include conventional components such as a processor, a memory (e.g., RAM), a bus which couples the processor and memory, a mass storage device (e.g., a magnetic hard disk or an optical storage disc) coupled to the processor and memory through an I/O controller and a network interface, such as a conventional modem. The client system may be a stationary workstation or a mobile smart device with a display and the ability to input data and connect to or communicate via the Internet.
An example computer system/device used in implementing the method and apparatus disclosed herein may comprise various hardware and software components such as a multitasking operating system, data storage devices, a display device, a user interface device such as a keyboard and/or other input devices connected to a CPU, personal computer or computer network operating in conjunction with other useful and/or unrelated interface hardware and application software. For example, a multitasking operating system program such as, but not limited to Apple Mac OSX®, Linux, Microsoft®Windows® or IBM OS/2®, or the like may be executed on the CPU to manage primary operations. The computer or CPU may also be linked to various remote databases and/or servers via private communications lines or the Internet. Alternatively, the methods disclosed herein may be expressed in a software application used on a mobile computing device or as part of a software suite of applications used in a computer network or Internet-accessible server.